The Mets try to make the most of a miserable season at the trade deadline… but what do the acquisitions mean with a looming lockout next year?
By Noah Zimmerman
noah@queensledger.com
The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, and as expected the Mets emptied their roster in a brutal sell-off. Some of New York’s biggest names and valuable arms were dealt, and while the Mets brought in plenty of talent via prospects, there are many unknowns heading into the 2027 campaign.
In the eyes of most, there was nothing David Stearns could do to save his position as General Manager. This season was a unique failure – the 2nd most expensive team in baseball was projected to have top-4 odds at winning the World Series… only to sell their players to the White Sox and Pirates at the deadline.
“We think we added a tremendous amount of talent to our organization that will help us going forward. It was the right thing to do given where we are in this season,” explained Stearns during a press conference on Monday. “Our goal is to move the organization forward in the best way possible to ensure that we have a far better season next year and each season beyond.”
Abysmal season aside, Stearns did a decent job of collecting value. Most departing players were on expiring deals and with the young talent added, the Mets farm system jumped from 26th in MLB to 16 according to FanGraphs.
The first major move for the Mets was to offload Freddy Peralta. After New York sent top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to Milwaukee for their star arm, Peralta became yet another new Met to disappoint. This year he had a near-5.00 ERA with only 113 strikeouts in 22 games – the least he’s recorded in a season with at least 20 appearances.
It’s the move and return that Stearns should be criticized the least for – Peralta at the time seemingly put the Mets rotation in a great spot for 2026. In sending him to Tampa Bay, New York brought in a trio of prospects in OF Aidan Smith, RHP Gary Gill Hill, and 2B Émilien Pitre.
Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor are headed to Chicago. Holmes made the switch from relief to starting pitching when he came across town from the Yankees. Despite doubts he proved his worth as a top-of-the-rotation arm. Taylor brought amazing energy to the dugout, also coming up clutch with great defense and timely hits. He and Holmes will reunite with David Peterson in the Windy City.
New York’s biggest prize of the trade deadline came back in the deal, adding the #2 Cubs prospect, Jefferson Rojas. The infielder is ranked 63rd in MLB Pipeline’s top-100 and immediately becomes the top name in the Mets system, potentially set to debut at the pro level next year.
The second eye-catching return is Sammy Stafura, coming from Pittsburgh in exchange for Luke Weaver. Stafura is a passionate Mets fan born in Westchester County, one of many excited fans to attend games in the magical 2024 season.
“When you talk about a power hitting infielder who we believe can play shortstop at a high level, that’s a player with a pretty high ceiling,” Stearns said about Stafura.
The other Mets to depart were A.J. Minter to Minnesota, Brooks Raley to the Phillies, Huascar Brazobán to the White Sox, and Ben Rortvedt back to the Dodgers. The other prospects picked up are Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin from the White Sox, Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani (son of former Met outfielder Benny Agbayani) from the Twins, John Spikerman and Luke Gabrysh from Philly, and Chayce McDermott from LA.
What this trade deadline means for next year is up in the air. There have been rumblings of a looming lock up for a long time, and it seems more likely with each passing day. The market was not kind to buyers or sellers this season, with endless questions about next season and how to handle contracts that expire at the end of the 2027 season.
The Mets were effectively out of contention just a month into the season and even if a lockout is avoided, next year doesn’t seem too much more promising. The important part of the deadline was to revamp the farm system and bring in a few new prospects to help rebuild their core. In that regard, New York did a decent job – though who knows how it will pan out?
